Publish death in police custody report

The inquest into Sarah Reed’s death begins on today . Tues 4th July- She was found dead in her cell in Holloway prison in London in January 2016 and her relatives will be expecting answers on the level of care she received and her wider treatment by public authorities. In 2012 Sarah was the victim of an assault by a police officer, an experience which aggravated her mental health issues.

The government has accepted that deaths in custody need further scrutiny. Two years ago Theresa May, as home secretary, commissioned an independent review on police custody deaths, including investigating racial disproportionality. The review’s report was due for publication over a year ago.

Until last week the government website on this independent review stated the report will be published “in the summer of 2016”. The continued and unexplained delays suggest the government is holding back on publishing the report.

We therefore call on home secretary Amber Rudd to immediately release the report of the independent review into deaths in police custody.

Families have been calling for transparency and justice on deaths in custody for decades. By releasing the report of the independent review the government can begin to convince bereaved families that it is committed to transparency and justice for the families affected by deaths in custody.